CALCIFEDIOL: 708 Adverse Event Reports & Safety Profile
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Drug Class: Cholecalciferol [CS] · Route: ORAL · Manufacturer: OPKO Pharmaceuticals LLC · FDA Application: 018312 · HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG · FDA Label: Available
Patent Expires: Sep 7, 2030 · First Report: 2004 · Latest Report: 20250913
What Are the Most Common CALCIFEDIOL Side Effects?
All CALCIFEDIOL Side Effects by Frequency
| Side Effect | Reports | % of Total | Deaths | Hosp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death | 146 | 20.6% | 146 | 2 |
| Hospitalisation | 48 | 6.8% | 0 | 48 |
| Acute kidney injury | 24 | 3.4% | 1 | 22 |
| Dialysis | 22 | 3.1% | 1 | 13 |
| Dyspnoea | 20 | 2.8% | 0 | 10 |
| Off label use | 19 | 2.7% | 0 | 8 |
| Fall | 18 | 2.5% | 1 | 17 |
| Ischaemic stroke | 18 | 2.5% | 18 | 0 |
| Pneumonia | 18 | 2.5% | 1 | 17 |
| Anaemia | 16 | 2.3% | 0 | 16 |
| Hypercalcaemia | 16 | 2.3% | 0 | 10 |
| Urinary tract infection | 16 | 2.3% | 0 | 16 |
| Cardiac disorder | 15 | 2.1% | 1 | 14 |
| Cardiac failure congestive | 15 | 2.1% | 2 | 12 |
| Respiratory tract infection | 15 | 2.1% | 0 | 15 |
| Cardiac failure | 14 | 2.0% | 1 | 13 |
| Confusional state | 14 | 2.0% | 0 | 13 |
| Nausea | 14 | 2.0% | 0 | 8 |
| Hyponatraemia | 13 | 1.8% | 0 | 13 |
| Eczema | 12 | 1.7% | 0 | 12 |
Who Reports CALCIFEDIOL Side Effects? Age & Gender Data
Gender: 57.6% female, 42.4% male. Average age: 72.9 years. Most reports from: US. View detailed demographics →
Is CALCIFEDIOL Getting Safer? Reports by Year
| Year | Reports | Deaths | Hosp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2014 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 2016 | 14 | 0 | 5 |
| 2017 | 15 | 3 | 14 |
| 2018 | 19 | 3 | 9 |
| 2019 | 50 | 15 | 16 |
| 2020 | 51 | 38 | 4 |
| 2021 | 16 | 11 | 2 |
| 2022 | 28 | 14 | 12 |
| 2023 | 110 | 28 | 82 |
| 2024 | 207 | 50 | 137 |
| 2025 | 66 | 13 | 38 |
What Is CALCIFEDIOL Used For?
| Indication | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hyperparathyroidism secondary | 352 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 315 |
| Vitamin d deficiency | 301 |
| Product used for unknown indication | 96 |
| Hyperparathyroidism | 49 |
| Vitamin supplementation | 16 |
| Osteoporosis | 11 |
| Prophylaxis | 11 |
CALCIFEDIOL vs Alternatives: Which Is Safer?
Other Drugs in Same Class: Cholecalciferol [CS]
Official FDA Label for CALCIFEDIOL
Official prescribing information from the FDA-approved drug label.
Drug Description
Calcifediol, USP, the active ingredient in RAYALDEE, is synthetically manufactured as calcifediol monohydrate. Calcifediol is also known as calcidiol, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol or 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 . Calcifediol monohydrate is a white crystalline powder, has a calculated molecular weight of 418.65 and is soluble in alcohol and fatty oils but practically insoluble in water. Chemically, calcifediol monohydrate is (3β,5Z,7E)-9,10-secocholesta-5,7,10(19)-triene-3,25-diol monohydrate and its structural formula is: RAYALDEE is formulated as extended-release capsules containing 30 mcg of calcifediol. RAYALDEE is available as soft capsules or two-piece banded hard capsules containing 30 mcg of calcifediol for oral administration. Each capsule contains the following excipients: butylated hydroxytoluene, dehydrated alcohol, hypromellose, lauroyl polyoxylglycerides, mineral oil, monoglycerides and diglycerides, and paraffin. The soft capsule shells contain carrageenan, FD&C Blue #1, modified starch, purified water, sodium phosphate dibasic, sorbitol sorbitan solution, and titanium dioxide. Medium chain triglyceride (fractionated coconut) oil is used as a lubricant during manufacture, and trace amounts may be present in the final formulation. The hard capsule shells contain gellan gum, hypromellose, and titanium dioxide. calcifediol Chemical Structure
FDA Approved Uses (Indications)
AND USAGE RAYALDEE is a vitamin D 3 analog indicated for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in adult patients with stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease and serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels less than 30 ng/mL. Limitations of Use RAYALDEE is not indicated for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease or in patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis. RAYALDEE is a vitamin D 3 analog indicated for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in adults with stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease and serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels less than 30 ng/mL. ( 1 ) Limitations of Use: RAYALDEE is not indicated in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease on dialysis. ( 1 )
Dosage & Administration
AND ADMINISTRATION
- The initial dose of RAYALDEE is 30 mcg administered orally once daily at bedtime. Serum calcium should be below 9.8 mg/dL before initiating treatment. ( 2 )
- Monitor serum calcium, phosphorus, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) 3 months after starting therapy or changing dose. ( 2.2 , 5.3 )
- Increase the dose to 60 mcg once daily after 3 months if intact PTH is above the treatment goal. Ensure serum calcium is below 9.8 mg/dL, phosphorus is below 5.5 mg/dL and 25-hydroxyvitamin D is below 100 ng/mL before increasing the dose. ( 2.2 )
- Suspend dosing if intact PTH is persistently abnormally low, serum calcium is consistently above the normal range or serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is consistently above 100 ng/mL. ( 2.2 )
2.1 Important Dosage and Administration Information
- Ensure serum calcium is below 9.8 mg/dL before initiating treatment [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) ].
- Instruct patients to swallow RAYALDEE capsules whole.
- Instruct patients to skip a missed dose and to resume taking the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not administer an extra dose.
2.2 Starting Dose and Dose Titration
- The initial dose of RAYALDEE is 30 mcg administered orally once daily at bedtime.
- The maintenance dose of RAYALDEE should target serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels between 30 and 100 ng/mL, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels within the desired therapeutic range, serum calcium (corrected for low albumin) within the normal range and serum phosphorus below 5.5 mg/dL.
- Monitor serum calcium, serum phosphorus, serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D and intact PTH levels at a minimum of 3 months after initiation of therapy or dose adjustment, and subsequently at least every 6 to 12 months.
- Increase the dose to 60 mcg orally once daily at bedtime after approximately 3 months, if intact PTH remains above the desired therapeutic range. Prior to raising the dose, ensure serum calcium is below 9.8 mg/dL, serum phosphorus is below 5.5 mg/dL and serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D is below 100 ng/mL.
- Suspend dosing if intact PTH is persistently and abnormally low to reduce the risk of adynamic bone disease [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) ], if serum calcium is consistently above the normal range to reduce the risk of hypercalcemia [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) ], or if serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D is consistently above 100 ng/mL. Restart at a reduced dose after these laboratory values have normalized.
Contraindications
None. None ( 4 )
Known Adverse Reactions
REACTIONS The following important adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the label:
- Hypercalcemia [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) ]
- Adynamic Bone Disease [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) ] The most common adverse reactions (≥3% and more frequent than placebo) were anemia, nasopharyngitis, increased blood creatinine, dyspnea, cough, congestive heart failure and constipation. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact OPKO Pharmaceuticals, LLC at 1-844-729-2539 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
6.1 Clinical Trial Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed cannot be directly compared to rates in other trials and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. The data in Table 1 are derived from two pivotal studies described below [ see Clinical Studies ( 14 ) ]. These data reflect exposure of 285 subjects to RAYALDEE 30 or 60 mcg daily for up to 6 months (mean 24 weeks, range 1 to 31 weeks). The mean age of the study population was 66 years old (range 25-85 years). Half of the subjects were male, 65% were White, and 32% were African-American or Black. At baseline, subjects had secondary hyperparathyroidism, stage 3 (52%) or 4 (48%) chronic kidney disease without macroalbuminuria and serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels less than 30 ng/mL. The most common causes of chronic kidney disease were diabetes and hypertension and the mean estimated GFR at baseline was 31 mL/min/1.73m 2 . At baseline, mean plasma intact PTH was 148 pg/mL, mean serum calcium was 9.2 mg/dL, mean serum phosphorus was 3.7 mg/dL and mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 20 ng/mL.
Table
1 shows common adverse reactions associated with the use of RAYALDEE in the pooled placebo-controlled trials. These adverse reactions were not present at baseline, occurred more commonly on RAYALDEE than on placebo, and occurred in at least 1.4% of patients treated with RAYALDEE.
Table
1.
Common Adverse
Reactions in Placebo-controlled Trials Reported in ≥1.4% of RAYALDEE-Treated Subjects Adverse Reaction Placebo N=144 RAYALDEE N=285 % % Anemia 3.5
4.9 Nasopharyngitis 2.8
4.9 Blood creatinine increased 1.4
4.9 Dyspnea 2.8
4.2 Cough 2.1
3.5 Cardiac failure congestive 0.7
3.5 Constipation 2.8
3.2 Bronchitis 0.7
2.8 Hyperkalemia 0.7
2.5 Osteoarthritis 0.7
2.1 Hyperuricemia 0.7
1.8 Contusion 0.0
1.8 Pneumonia 0.7
1.4 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 0.0
1.4 Increase in Serum Calcium Patients randomized to RAYALDEE experienced a greater mean (SE) increase in serum calcium (P<0.001) than patients randomized to placebo [i.e., 0.2 (0.02) mg/dL on RAYALDEE versus 0.1 (0.03) mg/dL on placebo from baseline to trial end]. Six subjects (2%) in the RAYALDEE treatment group and no subjects (0%) in the placebo group required dose reductions for protocol-defined hypercalcemia (two consecutive serum calcium values greater than 10.3 mg/dL). A total of 4.2% of RAYALDEE treated subjects and 2.1% of placebo treated subjects experienced at least one elevation in serum calcium above the upper limit of normal (10.5 mg/dL). Increase in Serum Phosphorus Patients randomized to RAYALDEE experienced a greater mean (SE) increase in serum phosphorus than patients randomized to placebo [i.e., 0.2 (0.03) mg/dL on RAYALDEE versus 0.1 (0.04) mg/dL on placebo from baseline to trial end]. One subject (0.4%) in the RAYALDEE treatment group met protocol-defined hyperphosphatemia (two consecutive serum phosphorus values greater than 5.5 mg/dL deemed to be study drug related) compared to no subjects in the placebo group. A total of 45% of RAYALDEE treated subjects and 44% of placebo treated subjects experienced at least one elevation in serum phosphorus above the upper limit of normal (4.5 mg/dL).
Warnings
AND PRECAUTIONS
- Hypercalcemia: Excessive administration of vitamin D compounds, including RAYALDEE, can cause hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria. Severe hypercalcemia due to substantial overdosage of vitamin D and its metabolites may require emergency attention. Patients should be informed about the symptoms of elevated calcium. ( 5.1 )
- Digitalis toxicity: Potentiated by hypercalcemia of any cause. Monitor serum calcium and signs and symptoms of digitalis toxicity more frequently when initiating or adjusting the dose of RAYALDEE. ( 5.2 )
- Adynamic Bone Disease: Monitor for abnormally low levels of intact PTH levels when using RAYALDEE, and adjust dose if needed. ( 2.2 , 5.3 )
5.1 Hypercalcemia Hypercalcemia may occur during RAYALDEE treatment [ see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 ) ]. Acute hypercalcemia may increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias and seizures and may potentiate the effect of digitalis on the heart [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 ) ]. Chronic hypercalcemia can lead to generalized vascular calcification and other soft-tissue calcification. Severe hypercalcemia may require emergency attention. Hypercalcemia may be exacerbated by concomitant administration of high doses of calcium containing preparations, thiazide diuretics, or other vitamin D compounds. In addition, high intake of calcium and phosphate concomitantly with vitamin D compounds may lead to hypercalciuria and hyperphosphatemia. In these circumstances, frequent serum calcium monitoring and RAYALDEE dose adjustments may be required. Patients with a history of hypercalcemia prior to initiating therapy with RAYALDEE should be monitored more frequently for possible hypercalcemia during therapy. Patients should be informed about the symptoms of elevated serum calcium, which include feeling tired, difficulty thinking clearly, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation, increased thirst, increased urination, and weight loss.
5.2 Digitalis Toxicity Hypercalcemia of any cause, including RAYALDEE [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) ], increases the risk of digitalis toxicity. In patients using RAYALDEE concomitantly with digitalis compounds, monitor both serum calcium and patients for signs and symptoms of digitalis toxicity and increase the frequency of monitoring when initiating or adjusting the dose of RAYALDEE [ see Dosage and Administration ( 2 ) ].
5.3 Adynamic Bone Disease Adynamic bone disease with subsequent increased risk of fractures may develop if intact PTH levels are suppressed by RAYALDEE to abnormally low levels. Monitor intact PTH levels and adjust RAYALDEE dose, if needed [ see Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 ) ].
Drug Interactions
INTERACTIONS
- Co-administration of cytochrome P450 inhibitors, such as ketoconazole, may alter serum levels of calcifediol. ( 7.1 )
- Co-administration of thiazides may cause hypercalcemia. ( 7.2 )
- Cholestyramine may impair the absorption of calcifediol. ( 7.3 )
- The half-life of calcifediol is reduced by drugs stimulating microsomal hydroxylation, such as phenobarbital or other anticonvulsants. ( 7.4 )